Jeju Island, South Korea

🇰🇷 Jeju Island (제주도) is South Korea's largest island, covering an area of 1,833.2 km² (707.8 sq mi), which is 1.83 percent of the total area of the country. It is also the most populous island in South Korea. The island is its own province (Jeju Special Self-Governing Province). The capital is Jeju City.

Offlying islands of the province include Chuja Islands and Udo Island.

The island lies in the Korea Strait, below the Korean Peninsula, south of the South Jeolla Province. It is located 82.8 km (51.4 mi) off the nearest point on the peninsula. Jeju is the only self-governing province in South Korea, meaning that the province is run by local inhabitants instead of politicians from the mainland.

Jeju Island has an oval shape of 73 km (45 mi) east–west and 31 km (19 mi) north–south, with a gentle slope around Mt. Halla in the centre. The length of the main road is 181 km (112 mi) and the coastline is 258 km (160 mi). The northern end of Jeju Island is Kimnyeong Beach, the southern end is Songak Mountain, the western end is Suwolbong, and the eastern end is Seongsan Ilchulbong.

The island was "formed by the eruption of an underwater volcano approximately 2 million years ago". It contains a natural world heritage site, the Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes. Jeju Island has a temperate climate which is moderate; even in winter, the temperature rarely falls below 0 °C (32 °F). Jeju is a popular holiday destination and a sizeable portion of the economy relies on tourism and related economic activity.

Economy Tourism is an important component of the local economy. The island is sometimes called "South Korea’s Hawaii". Tourists from China do not require a visa to visit Jeju, unlike the rest of South Korea, and in the 2010s have started visiting on specialised package tours to acquire a South Korean driver's license; the test is similar to that in China, but can be completed in less time and is easier, application and test forms are available in many languages, and a South Korean license, unlike a Chinese license, makes the holder eligible for an International Drivers License.

Tourist Industry In 1962, the South Korean government established the Korean National Tourism Corporation (KNTC) to monitor and regulate internal and external tourism, and it was later renamed the Korean National Tourism Organization (KNTO). While Korea lacks abundant natural resources, tourism is an entity that generates income nation-wide for South Korea. In Jeju-do province, specifically, tourism has proven to be beneficial and has been a growing contributor to the economy. Jeju Island, often compared to Hawaii, “is the winter destination for Asian tourist seeking warm weather and beautiful beaches.”

The island is home to 660,000 people, but hosts 15,000,000 visitors per year. English is not widely spoken in Jeju, and as a matter of fact, “the local dialect is different enough from Korean that it is recognised as a distinct language.” “Until recently, Chinese travelers accounted for 80% of foreign travellers;” however, due to the installation of THAAD (The Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) system in Korea, Chinese travel has dwindled drastically. “THAAD is supposed to shield against North Korean missiles” however China views it as a security threat. Though in the past year tourism has declined sharply, visits to Jeju continue to be a vacation destination for Asia. There are no visa requirements for visitors staying up to 90 days and future plans to build a second international airport have been discussed. Due to the decline of visitors caused by China's travel ban to Korea due to the concern of THAAD, talks and discussions continue to be held regarding a second airport to service over 45 million people with an anticipated completion by 2035. The current Jeju International Airport is crowded, as it services “30 million, which is 4 million more than it was designed to handle.” The current desire of the existing Jeju International Airport includes wanting to add more direct flights, non-stop to major cities including Tokyo, Osaka, Beijing, Shanghai, and Taipei.

While the economy booms with foreign travel, residents suffer negative repercussions of Jeju tourism. “Most commercial facilities are owned by foreigners and major companies.” In addition to increasing tourism, issues such as beach pollution, traffic, and over-consumption of underground water present a problem.

Jeju has three UNESCO World Heritage sites, and is “packed with museums and theme parks and also has horses, mountains, lava tube caves, and waterfalls with clear blue ocean lapping its beaches.” The Haenyeo (Jeju female divers) harvest oysters, abalone, clams, seaweed and other marine life, and their history is showcased at the island's Haenyeo museum.

Due to extensive tourism, the pollution of beaches has become a serious problem. The local government of Jeju aspires to be carbon-free by 2030. “Nearly half of all-electric cars in South Korea are registered in Jeju,”.

In addition to the aspirations of an additional airport and the expansion of tourism on the island, Jeju is home to a small technological hub. In 2005, the Jeju Science Park was created, a complex for technology companies and organisations. Since its implementation, it has attracted 117 IT and biotech companies and is home to the Daum Kakao Corporation headquarters.

One of the most popular surfing spots in Korea, Jeju Island is also the birthplace of Korean surfing. Some famous beaches are Weoljung Beach and Jungmun Beach. The latter is home to the first surfing club in Korea, established in 1995.

There are small islands near Jeju Island that visitors can visit by boat; the most famous of these are Udo, Gapado, and Marado. Udo is famous for its peanut ice cream and boat tours.

Jeju became more well known outside Korea after two characters in the 2021 Netflix original series Squid Game mentioned it.